


Uncontrollable

by RedlaSunShowers029



Category: Kuinaki Sentaku | No Regrets, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Centaur!Flagon, Dragon!Isabel, Dragon!Kenny, Multi, Possible mild body horror, Rated teen for violence, Satyr!Sayram, Warlock!Hanji, Werecat!Armin, Werewolf!Farlan, Zombie Slayer!Eren, and language probably, monster au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-11 23:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4456442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedlaSunShowers029/pseuds/RedlaSunShowers029
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was supposed to be a simple game of survival, though it seems that it comes with more hardship the harder you try to live, and the harder it is to protect those you love. Of course, everyone knows it all comes with a price. Werecats are fragile in terms of their sanity, protective beings who'll strike anything and anyone who messes with their most valued companions, even if their conscious selves wish this weren't so. For most, this leads to avoidance from others at best, slaughters at worst. </p><p>However, to one band of misfit monstrosities, the Werecat intrigues them greatly... And they'll do whatever they can to get him to join their little pack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Slaughter

With a violent slash of claws and a horrifying screech to follow along, blue eyes saw through the crowd, slashing and mutilating all who got in his way. Up to the center, where his friend resided... He lacked the skills on an average basis, however, with a semi-feline build was able to take on the task with needle-like claws and teeth with the sharpness of razors.  And all the while he counted his algorithm for life in his mind and under his breath: _1234... 1234... 1234..._ This, in a way, was a code for protecting his friends: one strike meant to pull them out; two required reasoning for them so the opposing side would let them go; three was the general "hide me" or and/or distraction; and four was the rarest seen and almost unheard of- fight fight fight. For one of the first times in his life, he had gone past four into the uncharted territory of his unseen physical abilities. 

He walked up to his shocked and perhaps horrified friend, grabbing him and pulling his wrist; his friend's brown hair was messier than ever, each side of his cheek adorned with a various assortment of nicks, scratches, and bruises. A warrior through and through, lacking talent however making up for this significantly through diligence and a vast sense of purpose, now stunned to the point where no words came to his bloodied lips. A werecat spoke no tongue and lacked all the morals but those cast aside all else to obtain. Yes, his friend had morals. Those were just triggered swiftly by the drumming of war. A group of  wall-loving citizens had found the brunette defenseless, and were set on beating him to death, and the rarely revealed ferocity within the somehow hybridized blonde standing before him. 

"Let's go.." he mewed, sincerity plaguing his voice and a pit of guilt lodged fully in his tone as he gently eased his battered companion to his feet. Did he regret this murderous plan for attack? Absolutely. But was the outcome worth it? The answer remained the same. Killing was something he loathed, mass-killing in particular. So why did he do it? Why did he kill all of them? Because they were a threat to the loud-mouthed brunette? Or was there something else? Like clockwork, his mind ticked and clicked with the sick realization of what was going on; he was so far down in an abyss or instinct that he wasn't in control any longer, a puppet to a ferocious creature, attending to the dirty work of something far more dangerous than himself. 

His boots made a soft clicking sound as he went along, a clawed hand guiding the other male alongside him with a diligence of mind. His personal judgement and human instincts were coming in: the longer Eren was here, the shorter amount of time and less people it would take to end the shifter for good. The werecat's tail twitched as it waved from side to side with an aggravated swishing sound, the ferocity of his current mood back to his default exterior attitude. Guilt pricked and stabbed him mercilessly as he trekked on, a small stream of tears silently begging for release in the corners of his eyes. 

"Why'd you do it?" Eren finally inquired as he wiped a mess of blood off his left cheek. "Why did you kill all of them?" A small mrrow worked its way up to his throat, producing something reminiscent to a woeful moan. "I didn't mean to..." he choked out with what last bit of verbal energy he had. It was as if someone had placed a curse of guilt over his head, one to last nearly an eternity. Even someone as persistent as Eren knew that this meant he was sincere and knowledgable of what he had done: seemingly insignificant to someone of his morals and reactions to their violation, his now rather feline friend was something quite different, rarely showing any signs of claws nor daggers to save his own life. Empty streets and flickering lights faded to black around the pair, enclosing them in shadows. 

_I want to fight back, want to live just as I've always done, but with a cat trapping me in its jaws and inducing instincts as a means of control? Impossible. Can't live the way I want to as a toy of fate. I've tried all I can to reduce the strain, rattling these metal chains around my neck, yet no one comes to the dog's leash to set it free. No one keeps it away from abuse. Not even the cat has more than bitter remarks on the matter of such a fate... Being a slave with instinct and ferocity as my two watchful masters, I just can't control myself... Just can't control it._

Resent and worry were all that stained his mind like the blood of those people he had surely killed back there... And the feeling was just as deadly as his own claws when set to kill. His breaths became more strained, footfalls heavy... The blood from a sole gash on his cheek spilling like rain onto the already crimson ground. After a spell of the blonde's misery, Eren tried to ask him again in hopes of a more direct explanation. "Armin, this isn't like you..." 

Tears gushed from the remorseful werecat's eyes, making his already somewhat dilated eyes seem huge with an innocent aura about them. Indeed, this had been all but his intent, but with the tight leash of fate around his neck, he couldn't get a grasp even now. "I-I never set out to kill anyone..." he gulped. "But... There's only so much I can control. I feel like I'm walking on a road going nowhere but an abyss of blood... And fangs that rip and tear. Whatever has controlled me is just too strong... And not even the words that escape my lips seem to create more than confusion. I can't control a thing- no thought, no emotion, no word I utter... And especially not a damned action. What am I now? All of my mental control is gone..." 

His face was also just slightly catlike, and had the same muzzle as any ordinary cat. A large patch of fur a few inches from his now quite feline nose was stained red, each individual droplet of blood running off of it in a small streak. Eren hesitated before wiping this off the best he could with his hand, eyes emanating a friendly, understanding presence than he had ever shown before. It almost... Calmed Armin's deep-embedded understanding from underneath the fur he was clad in. Eren gently lifted his feline chin up to stare into his ocean-blue eyes and make him understand what had happened. "Armin," he started, "there is no person who lives without guilt and shame of the past. You are not the first to massacre, nor the last, and in any case, you might've just well saved my life from the result of it." Tears poured from the now-clear blue eyes of the blonde, jagged teeth bared to stop himself from sobbing. "H-How... Will I ever live this down? I never meant to hurt a soul, never had any will to, but the moment I lost control my fate was clear. Blood pouring viciously from a set of apathetic claws... This is all but the life I wish to commit to living." 

"I know that, but would you rather a dagger in hand against an assault? One you could never raise to defend yourself, much less others in the face of a screaming mob?" The blonde shook his head without a single word, with a hollow, cold emptiness in each eye. "Armin, you can get through this. You can turn this all around to show you the light you need to follow. Reformation dislikes being shut off from the mournful soldier wishing for guidance. You're not a lost cause, Armin: you've just got to find your way across and fight on for what you believe. Just as you've always done, and now is no different." "But I killed. Fourteen. People!" the blonde insisted. "Murderer is a title risky as hell to acquire, and impossible to wipe clear. Once you've got blood on your hands, there's no turning back, and forever that will stay with you. It doesn't wash out, reformation or not." 

"But you weren't sane the moment you committed the crimes... Taken over and forced to acquiescence by something more dangerous than has been know before. It's faulty wiring, basically. And in sure that Hanji will have some information on ho-" Before he could finish, he felt his friend's not rather strong grip around his waist before the Werecat completely broke down and fell to his knees. "Y-You're saying there was no way that I was the actual culprit of the crime?" The tone was almost hopeful; it shattered a piece of Eren with how hopeful he seemed to be of thoughts of remaining innocent to murder. "The blood still stains your hands, but the loss of control was inevitable. Something else was the culprit of the slaughter, if that makes any sense to you." 

The grasp only tightened now, meaning Armin was feeling somewhat worse again... This was no good. The only thing he could think of doing was to gently stroke his friend's bloodstained blond hair as a sort of reassurance. "Please understand... It wasn't your fault. Remember the time you came in contact with one of Hanji's experiments by accident? I believe that's what gave you this. Took over some of your genes and scrambled your DNA to allow the catlike features, did it not?" 

"Presumably, you could say that I'm living proof of such." Armin mumbled. His tone still hinted at his massive guilt and worry, though he seemed to start calming down and becoming his more logical self. If Eren was honest with himself, he saw no direction or aim to Armin's bountiful, lengthy metaphor only messed with his mind. "So what you're saying is that I must've taken over neurologically as well... That explains it." Going over he question logically helped a little more, adding on to his stress relief. But still, the feeling ceased to pester him. "That still doesn't change the fact that-" "Armin!" A hard slap from the brunette's hand stung on his cheek, and looking up, the eyes of his friend were still concerned, but much more directly and in a more obvious fashion. "Dwelling over it isn't going to do anyone good whatsoever! How are you going to control yourself, so this doesn't happen again! The Military Police are probably on their way as of now... Think, Armin, think! It's what you do best, and if you want to live, then think!" Now Eren was starting to lose his sanity a bit, uttering any words if urgency or comfort he could think of, even if it felt numb and false to his own mind. "If you cannot do that, then try to live and think for the sake of someone else..." 

The clockwork on the blonde's mind was starting to repair itself, generating thoughts of something- anything- that could help him in time. But what could work? He was already past his point of fearful insanity, terror pulsing through his veins. "E-Eren, I can't... Everything I try to... Think of... Wouldn't work in the slightest." "Then use the one that would work out the best, Armin. They can't all be that bad." The pressure drove him further into his mind, until he finally piped up "I was thinking that I should probably go to Hanji... But that seems too obvious. Besides, that'll be trivial the moment they get here... I don't want to go on the run, Eren..."

"Listen, Armin, right now... You're going to have to. Trust yourself on this one, alright?" He got little reaponse. 

"Come here and listen to me," the brunette murmured, tousling his friend's already unkempt and bloodied hair, not getting anything but pure silence from his despondent companion. "You didn't mean to, I know that. If anyone looked at the evidence before them, they'd see you were perfectly normal up until they attempted to take my life, right? The effects of the untested liquid caused your mind to blank, and some of your brain cells were replaced by simple cat impulses. These were triggered by mere instinct, but much more in a doglike sense... You felt driven to protect. You, personally, had the need to stop this madness, and even if you did injure some people, if was for a valid reason. I understand that you didn't mean to, and so would everyone else, if they paid attention to the evidence." Silence followed, the two boys listening intently to the Military Police arriving some place off in the distance and making evaluations: all fourteen would live to see another day. In the meantime, officers vowed to look out for the culprit of their injuries...

Though they weren't the only ones who wished to see the pair.


	2. Bargaining With Werewolves

"How long are you expecting for it to take? This person you're after, he seems pretty closed-off to any sorts of threats to his companion, Far. 'Sides, he's only a child." Amber eyes looked down towards the tiny, lizard-like creature poking out of a bag slung over his shoulder. 

"I haven't a clue myself, Isabel. All I know is that he'd make an excellent addition to our team, don't you think? Anyone who could fend off that significant a mob is worth our time to try convincing. If he's a kid, we can bring him up to fend for himself, and let him go out on his own- it's a win-win." His eyes never lost sight of the Werecat, watching him intently as the pair crossed the small town, never looking around too long from their path ahead. "Besides, I'm sure he'll get lost one time or another; he appears to be a stranger to this town, and of course we rule it."

"I rule it," the small being responded, the twin "wings" on either side of her tail flapping open as a foot found its way to her yellow chest. "I'm the dragon they all fear, after all, the one who lives up on the mountain tops to terrorize them. Or so they think." A small chuckle escaped her jaws. "And what about you?" Beetle-like wings flapped open, flitting to his jaws and pulling at the black edges of his jaws. "Yer just a rogue lil wolfie, aren't'cha?"

Furry ears reared backwards in annoyance, a clawed hand reaching out and catching the small dragon between his thumb and forefinger. "Isabel, you can't be seen, damnit! Do you know what they'd do to us _both_ if they catch sight of you?!" 

"I dunno- why's it matter?" Isabel scoffed, tiny form struggling helplessly against his grasp. "Yer that rogue werewolf everyone's 'fraid of- as far as I see it, it's the same risk. 'Sides, I'll get 'em if they wanna piece of me! I'll take 'em all on! C'mon, Farlan- lemme go!"

"We're getting off topic- and no, you are not fighting off any of the civilians that come this way. If they come up to your cave on the mountaintop, fine; eat them if you wish even, I don't give a damn. But right now, we both have to try to keep cover and try to blend in."

"A tiny dragon and a werewolf? Yer kidding, ri-mmph!" Her skeptical inquiry was silenced as the werewolf shoved her into the small messenger bag, an impatient growl forming at the back of his throat.

"Save it, Isabel!" While he tried to hide it, his anxiety betrayed him, heart pounding in his chest as the Werecat and his companion turned a corner, heading straight toward them. "We don't have time to hash out the details in the middle of public, and certainly not now!" His breathing began to hitch in places with the crippling fear; he knew well enough the price they'd pay if the civilians ever caught sight of them: a notorious werewolf and a dragon thief- and knowing how notorious the town was for its bloodlust... They'd be lucky enough to make it out with a scrap of flesh still remaining on their sorry hides. Even if the pair were new to the town, surely they'd heard the rumors. _Take a deep breath, damn it, Church! You'll never get them to side with you if you're panicking._ The mental scolding allowed the lupine to get ahold of himself better, thinking over the details. _Alright, I've got a few options. The kid's a monster as well, so he's less likely to rat me out like the normal citizens... But just to be safe, I might as well try to conceal myself._ A paw-like hand felt for the edge of his cloak, pulling the hood all the way over his pale gray muzzle. Not much time passed until the two were in sight, giving a final effort to conceal his thick tail from view.

"How can you be certain they'll accept us after this?! They'll know it's me as soon as they see these damned ears and tail-" The blonde stopped in front of the canine, looking up slightly to try and gaze through the deep green of the cloak in hopes of catching the person's eyes. Something definitely glimmered from beneath the shelter of the fabric, like two amber orbs partially exposed to the light of torches placed outside.

"Are you two lost?" The Werecat flinched as he felt something small and scaly run across the soles of his boots, looking down to find something lizard-like making its way across the city; not long after, he watched the stranger cringe slightly before continuing. "I haven't seen such... Unusual faces around these parts before. You better seek shelter before those damned Military Police officers are after you."

It was the feline's turn to cringe, ears drooping and tail flicking back nervously. "I suppose we've gotten ourselves into a bit of a predicament already..." From beneath the cloak, he would've sworn he saw the jaws of a wolf form into a somewhat sinister-seeming smile.

"You mean that bit of bloodshed from an hour ago?" The smile shifted to a nervous one from what he could see, feeling his friend's grasp on his wrist tighten. "I happened to be in the vicinity when you took out the lot of them, and I must say, I'm impressed. Who taught you how to strike like that, kid?"

"Well, I suppose it just... Happened... I don't know how or why, but I ended up being swallowed up by this strange surge of protective instinct or something- the townsfolk down here seemed to notice my..." His ears flicked in a strange gesture, clawed fingers pointing to them along with his swishing tail. "They assumed I was hostile, screaming something about how the Were's always take over this town, and tried to attack us. I don't know what happened after that, but they seemed to be out for blood and I lost it..." The feline's eyes widened and halted the conversation. "Y-You're not out to report us, are you?!"

The stranger gave a nervous chuckle. "Of course not! Why on earth would I do that?! I really don't have a problem with the monsters around here. This village is full of them, but the townsfolk don't like to admit it, you see. They prefer to keep quiet on the subject of the monstrosities that live more or less right alongside them." 

The feline's tail flicked in an unspoken inquisitive tone. "How do you know?"

The stranger hesitated for a moment. "Seeing as you're in a pickle yourselves, I might as well tell you since you're in no place to report me to the authorities." A clawed hand slipped to the brim of his hood, keeping it there for a moment. "I don't normally show people, though you two seem reasonable enough, so why not. The reason I know this?..." The stranger tossed back his hood, revealing a pair of fluffy ears, and a muzzle rimmed with black gums and sharp teeth. "...I am one of those monsters." At this point, the werewolf's guard was down, extending a friendly hand towards them. "You're welcome to call me Farlan."

Eren hesitated slightly, silent for once in his life before accepting the gesture. "I'm Eren," he mumbled, stepping back some to allow his companion to stand up. "And this is my best friend, Armin." The hostility within him was beginning to fade somewhat, sighing and giving the wolf a sincere look. "We are indeed in a bit of a predicament, so if you'd be willing to give us directions to a safe location... It'd be much appreciated."

The wolf's ears flicked slightly, interested; could this be the chance he was looking for? Taking them immediately would be a mistake, though if he could leave them somewhere for the night and send for them another day... That could work without taking on too much of a shady presence. "I'll walk you over to one of the bars- it's not far from this part of town, and it isn't too hostile towards those who look different. Not unless you're a dragon, anyways." The wolf began to walk away, tail flicking for the other two to follow. "Good grief," Farlan muttered, eyeing the gashes and bruises along their arms and cheeks. "There's a healer there, too- goes by the name of Hanji."

"Hey- I recognize that name!" Eren responded, interest returning. "That wouldn't be Hanji Zoe, the warlock?"

"That'd be the one!" Farlan answered back, tail wagging somewhat with excitement. Good; they knew someone there, too, so they'd be more willing to trust him. His plan seemed to be fitting into place perfectly. For once, he had some hope. "You seem to know your way around this place better than I'd have expected, now. How on earth did you manage to get someone like Hanji to talk to you, anyways?"

It was Armin's turn to speak up once more. "Back where we were from, there was a whole Zombie Werewolf apocalypse. They came down to try and help us fend it off, though I'm afraid that they didn't exactly live there. We were both fighters of it, and I must've gotten one of their concoctions into my system- Hanji was very kind to us both, and mentored me a little on brewing so I could try to help fend them off. Somehow, the apocalypse lead us here, though... Perhaps we got a little lost in the fight."

"You're from the Zombie towns?!" Farlan halted for a moment, struggling to hide his interest at this point. "Geez- no wonder you're in trouble. I assume this level of trouble isn't much if your town was overrun with undead, decaying corpses of your kind surrounding them... Here, you can't stir up much trouble if you want to survive. People don't take kindly to the kind of fighting you surely had to deal with just to get by." His footsteps showed the pair to a small bar; a wooden sign jutted out, labeled "Dragon's Pub" a dragon's corpse depicted in a crude red sketch underneath the scrawly yellow letters. The entire place was completely made of wood, and vacant as far as he could tell. Now, Farlan never liked the place one bit, though it was the only way they could obtain the information they needed to keep his dragon companion out of trouble. The people there were... Decent, long as they didn't catch wind of that secret. At least it'd offer those two some space for a while.

One of his paw-like hands ushered them in, standing in the doorway once the pair had made it there. "I've heard news that tomorrow morning, the village's hero will come down here, and he'll be looking for accompaniment on one of his little escapades. You should look for a guy in a hood who goes by the name of 'Dragonslayer Levi,' do you hear me? If you succeed on his quest, you'll be offered hospitality from him- I guarantee it."

"Do you really think we have a chance on going on such a quest?" Armin asked, twisting his tail nervously.

Farlan raised a brow. "With your skills? You don't have anything to worry about it, kid." His gaze shifted outside. "Now, I have to leave before someone finds me out here... Just try to make yourselves comfortable there, alright? I'll look forward of hearing how it goes." With a final glance at the pair, he left them to their own devices, chuckling slightly. 

As far as things were going, he'd be able to sway the pair in no time.


	3. Dragonslayer Levi

"Are we supposed to stay here overnight?!" The whisper from the Werecat was far more desperate-sounding this time, shifting a bit in the building and trying to see what place was available to rest. A hand found its way to the smooth granite of the bar countertop, peering over. "I really don't see much place to rest up..." 

"It's best if we don't let people know what we're up to- what do you think? I'm sure hoping people aren't watching us..." 

Armin's ears flicked, regarding his human companion curiously. "Eren, what are you talking about?" 

"People will get suspicious if they think we're camping out here, right? It's a bit suspicious to be out here when the place is clearly closed, and therefore I doubt it's a good idea to stay here. Not in sight of the morning's customers, anyways." Curiously, Eren opened a cupboard, revealing a bit of liquor. He'd seen it multiple times before in the crumbling village they'd been from, used more frequently to heal the gashes left by the claws of the undead than for consumption. Looking a bit deeper into the cabinet, he discovered a roll of bandages and a cleaning cloth- but why was there a medical cabinet in the middle of a bar? Did people fight there all that much?!

"To be honest, I really don't trust that guy, Ar," Eren mumbled, taking a dab of the liquor and applying it to the cloth. "There seemed to be something going on about him... Something sinister. Maybe he's honest, I've got no clue- it'd explain why he had a hood over his head to begin with if people are constantly hunting down whatever monstrosities they can get within their grasp, anyways- though why did he help us? Ever we're more accustomed to their zombified counterparts, werewolves aren't a benevolent breed in the slightest. Even the living ones." Carefully, he made his way over to his friend, hearing a small _mrrow_ of pain as he pressed the cloth to the wound on his cheek. "Sorry, Armin, buddy- it's going to sting a little, but I've got to clean that cut or it's going to get infected."

"I just don't understand why he'd trick us now. He had every chance to take us somewhere else, to attack or mug us, but he didn't lay a claw on us in malice. All he did was give us a place to stay for the night and gave us directions to a more temporary arrangement." Armin tried to keep quiet for the most part as his companion cleaned each one of his wounds, watching tiredly as Eren took the roll of bandages and wrapped them around a wound on his arm. "We have to at least give it a shot; after all, we're new to this place, and he seems to know his way around much better than we do. Street smarts is something we'll have to acquire over time, really."

"You trust that guy much more than I'd like," Eren responded softly, finishing up with his bandaging and pecking the feline softly on his uninjured cheek, "though perhaps you're right. I'll still ask about him sometime, just in case he's some thug that's leading us into a hole. Farlan, wasn't it?" A small creaking sound sounded from above, causing him to look up for any trespassers. The only think he saw was a small lizard-like creature, what appeared to be bat-like wings spread out to give it balance. "Damn, are those creatures everywhere?" 

Armin tilted his head in Eren's direction, tail flicking in that same questioning gesture. "What creatures, Eren? I don't see anything." 

"Wha-" Eren turned towards the same spot, revealing that the being had indeed left the spot. "Damnit, it always happens right when I look away! No, though- it looked like the same thing that came out of that werewolf's bag and crawled over your foot. Maybe it's a dragon hatchling or something." A small grin snuck up on his face. "Hey, Armin- do you think the chance of this Levi guy taking us with him on that mission would increase if we gifted him with one of those?"

Armin's eyes widened with horror. "You're suggesting us hand over a baby to a merciless killer?! I don't care if it's a dragon or not; we are not going to be the ones to second-handedly murder a hatchling- come on, Eren." He was silent for a moment. "Though I suppose you do have to wonder what a thing like that is doing in a pub for citizens in search of such blood, don't you?"

"Perhaps they're spying on us- maybe, somehow, they know we're going out to hunt down their queen." Eren whispered. "Well, if dragons have queens, anyways..." 

"Why don't we sleep on it and wait for tomorrow? We'll have to get some shuteye if want to even dream of being chosen for that mission..." Armin stood and walked over to a small lounge in the back, well out of the view of any peeping eyes and motioned for Eren to follow him. "Though to be honest, I sort of hope we don't." 

"Why so?" Eren inquired, following the feline over to the place; which, truthfully, was just large enough for the pair to lay comfortably. "Come on, Armin- please tell me it isn't that you don't want to kill something?"

"Well... That's definitely more than part of it," Armin mumbled, sitting down on one of two small couches inside- intended for a purpose he couldn't begin to fathom. "It just doesn't seem right. Maybe the dragon really isn't that bad, you know? Maybe they're just a monster like me? One who doesn't want to hurt anyone, yet takes the wrap for all of it because they need a scapegoat?"

"Dragons don't function like that, Armin." Eren replied calmly, looking his cat companion in the eyes. "They're known for things like stealing livestock and hoarding riches, you know? Even if we didn't have dragons back there, it's common fact that they're demons of the earth that need to be taken down." 

"If they injure you, I'll take them down... Probably without a say over if I want to or not. But other than that, we should probably see if it's a bad one of not."

"You're too soft for your own good sometimes, bud," Eren scoffed, laying down on the couch beside him. "We'll sleep on it and see what tomorrow brings, alright?" 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Dragons? Yes, I've encountered dragons. Which ones are you looking for me to tell you about, exactly?" 

The pair awoke to the sound of cheering, raucous shrieks and clanging beer mugs raised high as far as their weary ears could hear. They must've slept until the bar had well since opened; otherwise, they wouldn't have caught sight of so many drunken faces as they peered out. Stretching, Eren took off a long blue hoodie he'd been wearing at the time of the attack, revealing a light gray shirt stained deep crimson in places from the mobs he'd encountered. "Here- put this on before someone sees your ears!" Armin obliged graciously, slipping the hood over what fur he could hide, tucking his tail under the seam behind him to the best of his ability. "You think he's here already?" 

"No clue," Armin whispered, "but we might as well find out. It's now or never." And so the pair followed their ears out into the massive crowd. 

It was hard to see over the scene. Several people crowded over a corner, watching with delight and wonder at something over there out of their range, screaming the same words over and over again: "Tell us, Levi! Tell us what dragons remain on your list!" For a second, the crowd parted to reveal the very last person they expected to be the renowned dragon slayer.

The man was covered up almost entirely, with only the slightest hint of what he was showing through a tan cloak; a sign they knew already meant he probably wasn't fully human from the way the wolf had surely implied. Narrow silver eyes, lined with dark circles and looking relatively heavy as if they belonged to a soldier of war, looked around with an unamused glance or two at everyone around him before taking a sip of a deep black liquor without saying a word. "It's impressive how intrigued you are by this subject. Day in and day out, it's the same question over and over again. Would've thought you'd grow tired of it by now, but if you insist..." The crowd gave him more distance as he stood up to face the onlooking crowd, a look of near annoyance on his face at this point spreading across his face. Sighing to himself, he took a silver sword off his belt, unsheathing it, and twisting it counterclockwise by the pommel so the pure silver of the blade sparkled.

"There is a name," he began, raising the sword higher to ask for more space, "that I'm sure you've all heard of if you're sitting in this room." The crowd gazed on with baited breath, stepping back as he gestured with a sword for more space to step forward. "The dragon who's solely responsible for taking our livestock and our land? The dragon whose spawn take our gold and hard-earned riches?" The dragon slayer gave the air a hard slash. "The one who hides outside our windows to see what children they can slurp up for a midnight snack?" From over in the corner, someone gave him a dagger, another stepping out of the way. A makeshift dartboard stood directly beside the pair, pages of dragon sketches laid over top one another. His eyes scanned the area for a moment, aiming, and letting go of the pointed weapon to land on one of the sketches with a satisfying _thwang_. "This dragon's been on my hit list for quite a while now, and I think by now I've taken all the time I need to end it once and for all."

"Why that dragon in particular? I remember you've been betting on taking that one out since you first started this gig, Levi." The gaze in the slayer's eyes darkened to a hostile glare, looking straight at the speaker with tamed anger.

"Because," Levi snarled, "that dragon is the very reason I took up dragon hunting to begin with. Years ago, before I took up this job, this particular dragon thought it'd be a smart idea to make a meal out of my little sister..." 

"Oh- you mean that feisty little redhead, Isabel? Damn, she was a sweet gal- so that's what happened to her..."

The gaze intensified with each second, grief peeling over his exterior. "It took us both by surprise, I tell you. We were just walking back when e beast struck, claws and teeth out all sharpened for the kill. I couldn't make it to her before the dragon did, and the result is awful to detail. Oh yes, she did what she could to fight back, but there's only so much one little girl can do against a savage beast like that. Hell, not even I could've taken it down at that point in time. It only took a second before that scaly bastard had her in its jaws, and snap! Just like that, her life was over far too soon." Grief turned to anger once more. "And therefore, I vowed since that day I would take it upon my own hands to slay it or die trying."

Cheering echoed around the bar once more; beer mugs raised in various toasts across each and every table, fists raised in approval, and a sly grin snuck up the man's lips for a moment before hushing the crowd. "However, I will not go alone this time. I need a pair to accompany me, as this will be a very difficult mission indeed, even for me." His eyes glanced around challengingly, then shifted back to normal as he sat down beside his drink. "I'm looking for a younger pair, two who'd prove their loyalty throughout any weather. Swiftness and intellect are key traits I value above brute strength." A finger ran along the blade of his sword. "Any monsters who are able to hide in the shadows here are welcome... I will not segregate between humans and monstrosities for this particular quest."

A hand from behind the pair shoved them forward. "Kids, you might as well step forward. He's got a pretty strong eye on you both- I can see it from here." Nervously, the feline and the zombie killer acquiesced, cautiously weaving their way around the crowd.

"Is no one brave enough to join me? You'd be offered a share of the vast riches the dragon hides in her lair..." His eyes caught sight of the two trying to make their way through the crowd, motioning his blade for more room again. "Give them some space to step up, now- what are you, savages?" Immediately, the crowd parted again to allow them to step forward.

"S-Sir, my name is Armin, and this is my best friend, Eren. We're not entirely sure if we'd fit the bill you're looking for- I'm sure there are others who'd prefer to go along with you, ones more capable- but we thought we might as well offer to join you." The Werecat was nervous he'd get a slash from the sword for speaking out of place, or laughed at for his pitiful offer, though the gaze the man gave him was one of great interest. 

"Armin, I'd like to see the faces of my comrades before I choose them. It's a simple matter of being able to recognize you in combat against whatever traps the dragon has set up for us. I'd like to ask you to remove your hood before I make any decisions." The look in Armin's eyes turned to a frightened expression, shaking hands reaching up to reveal his own ears, tail springing out the back.

The crowd gasped. Many got up in anger, balled fists and jackknives drawn in preparation to strike. But before any of them could do anything, Levi raised his sword once more, the hostile glare returning, and those who'd prepared for combat seated themselves once more. "Now now, don't be hasty. I said I'd take monsters just as well as I'd take humans, didn't I?"

"But-" 

"I'll take no 'but's. The invitation was open to all, and I intend to keep it that way. I know what you're all thinking; how could I let the same demon who knocked fourteen of our best men down join me in my quest? You see, all evidence and eyewitness reports, even those who would rather throw themselves to a nest of radiated rats than sit for a moment with one of these humanoids, leads me to believe the first attack was thrown by the men themselves. Never confuse a Werecat with a Werewolf- or better yet, leave both alone- for the cats will fight back if their companions are threatened. In other words, it was defense- and rather powerful defense at that." A hand reached up to ruffle the feline's hair, watching with mild interest as his ears shrank back on his head. 

"Alright then, you two. I'll let you come along with me."


	4. Crystal Caverns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting the vibe that I tried to heavily imply this but you know exactly who I'm talking about... I'm sorry. Hopefully this chapter isn't too much of a letdown.

"Why'd you convince me to come over here? It's ridiculous- we should be back at your cave before someone sees us out here and decides to take up a mob to take you out-" His words trailed off as his companion crawled from the messenger bag to his shoulder, head tilted over towards his ear.

"Y'know, Farlan, no one wants to face me head-on because I'm the terrorizer of the kingdom, right? Everyone's afraid of what I'll do to them if I get the chance. Of course, it's always fun to toy with their fears n' make 'em think I'm gonna gobble 'em up, but sometimes I think they take it a lil far. It's not like I actually go down into the town and steal children n' their parents to eat- I've got plenty of herbs and plants and all to keep myself more than sated without having to have any of them for a snack. 'Sides, human flesh tastes awful, I tell ya! They're just mad 'cuz I take their livestock n' jewels away from them."

"Yes... But you know how we planned this, don't you? You're not in your lair, so when whatever pair He decides to pick out arrive... Isabel, this isn't something we can just dawdle over, you know!" 

"Ya, I know," the dragon responded, scampering down to the darkly-lit cavern floor, "but I just wanna... You know, get some more riches to decorate over there. This cave hasn't been found by human eyes, so there aren't any chemicals or torches to mingle with the quality of these crystals..." Isabel paused for a moment, licking a spot of drool from her chin with a lizard-like tongue.

"Don't think I don't know the real reason you wanted to come over here," Farlan growled, ears flicking back in annoyance- even at this small stature, the dragon was more than a tiny handful- in terms of chaperoning, anyways. "You're only in this crystal cavern because you want to shove your face full with as many geodes as you can get your claws on." A furry tail swished aggressively at the thought; the entire plan could've been blown to smithereens for the sake of the dragon's appetite for gems. "We have to prepare for this, you know- he isn't going to stall this any longer, not when he's got company." 

"He wouldn't lay a slash on me without reason to- you know that well as me," the dragon insisted. "The pair he's taking get to know that I ain't as bad as everyone thinks at the end of this- both of y'all said it when you were looking over the plans. What were ya expectin'- that I'd have to fake my death or something?" The dual fans of her tail were the only things the werewolf could see as he continued to slip deeper and deeper into the cave, dilated gold eyes scanning for what they'd come for.

"There just better be some healing water or something we can actually use in here as well..." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Aha! See- I told ya there were still a couple left! An' you were startin' to doubt me, too..." After what'd seemed like forever of walking in the darkness of the mountainside cavern, a small light shone from one edge, glittering with various crystals; from the rarest diamonds to the brightest emeralds and sapphires, that segment of the cave was full of them- not a single one touched by humans hands. The dragon took this to her advantage and bolted forward, jumping onto one of the walls and removing a ruby. "C'mon over, lil wolfie- I know ya wanna pawn a couple of these to get weaponry fer our new teammates- whoever they might be." Sitting on a ledge, the dragon took the gem in her claws, allowing a small flame to slip from her mouth and melt the center. Not much longer, her tongue punctured the semisolid surface, drinking from the melted crystal and turning towards the suddenly nervous canine. "Ay- yer not really scared that he's gonna pick the wrong pair, are ya?"

"Not exactly," Farlan mumbled in response, ears drooping some then flicking back in deep thought. "It's just... What if we can't get them to cooperate? Surely, when they find out everything, they'll know who we are and, well, I'm afraid they'll turn their backs on us if we aren't the kind of people they want to be seen around. That other kid, Eren- he seemed a little suspicious as it was... I don't know what he's going to think when he finds out that I'm the one behind all this."

"From what I know about 'em, they don't really have a choice. They're wanted just like us, so we can be like a team of outlaws, right? Takin' over the kingdom together and wreaking havoc along each and every street corner! Oh, and we could take the two along and set things up so that the townsfolk go after the brunette and the monster within the other comes out... Imagine all the things we could steal during the time they're focused, Farlan! Just imagine it!"

"Now, Farlan mumbled, eyes darting back to the tiny dragon as she nibbled on the inner shell of the geode, "we could use the help of those two on our team, but we shouldn't _use_ their help for the sake of our team. There's a difference between asking them a favor of them and completely abusing whatever powers the other kid has."

After a few more moments of munching, Isabel spoke up again. "Y'know, I'm starting to question whether that kid's what ya think he is... I know yer looking for another werewolf to join us, but are ya sure he's part wolf? Never seen a wolfie who'd attack other people for harming people other than themselves. An' I mean, I know how ya act 'round the time of the full moon. Ya go rampant. Smash through shit. Take all the food you can fit into yer slathering jaws and take it back here. Hell, sometimes ya even proved yerself a threat to Him an' I..."

"Yes, I know, but some werewolves act differently. I'm not exactly... The only example. There were others of my kind, you know, but when those goddamned Werecats came here, it was over. Every loyal friend I had turned against me and fled. If it weren't for them, I probably would've gotten to have a pack to lead..."

Isabel tilted the crystal upside down to get the remaining liquified goop out with her tongue, placing the remaining hollow shell next to herself as she pawed for a turquoise. "But they ya'd never met either of us. If ya had a pack, that'd only solve so much fer ya, really. Maybe you'd get to watch over and rule, though don't'cha get to do that already when ya ransack the town? Or is that not enough for ya? Rulers always have their rebels, so why not _be_ a ruling rebel? It's more fun than having to debate over how yer gonna feed a pack any day, right?" 

Farlan weaved paw-like fingers through his tuft of silver hair. "It isn't like that at all!" Isabel tensed a bit- it was relatively rare that even a nervous tick like Farlan lost it any other time than the full moon, especially in anger- and turned over to him nervously, expecting some sort of explanation. "Sorry, it's just... I doubt either of you would understand. It's true, that I've got you around, though a dragon and a werewolf? Even if we're comrades, we aren't exactly the closest in species... There's a world of difference between scales and fur, if truth be told. You've got Him to look after you- the dragon tamer and the dragon, and that's all you really need- but as for me, well..." A small sigh emanated from his jaws. "It'd be nice to find someone else who could help me understand how to control this... Or at least someone I can learn how to with."

Isabel took a chunk of the gem in her mouth, finishing off the bite before speaking up once more with a resonant _crunch_. "So yer still harping over this? How ya don't wanna lose control all the time an' somehow having another wolf around is gonna help ya with that? I thought ya'd given that up forever ago." The dragon found a diamond beside her, tongue flicking over the smooth surface, as if questioning whether or not to eat it. 

"Atch- not that one! We could pay for something with that!" Reluctantly, the orange dragon turned over the gem to the werewolf. "What I'm saying is..." His ears shot forward for a moment. "More or less, exactly that. Listen, I get that you really don't care if people live in fear of you, though it's really not the life for me. Now, I'm not saying I want to be revered or anything like that, but I want to be able to live without worry of mobs coming up trying to impale me for the crimes I don't even remember committing." With the edge of his green cloak, the canine rubbed the stone to a decent shine, freeing it of dirt. "Just because I'm supposedly strange for a werewolf doesn't mean I don't have the same natural desires, you know. Every wolf I can think of, from what I remember before those damned cats took over, wants a pack- it's instinct. Sure, there are a couple lone wolves, but truthfully..." Farlan heaved a deep sigh. "I don't want to be the only one out there. And I'm starting to tire out of hiding all the while..."

"Yer really 'friad they're gonna find out about us and throw us in the slammer, aren't ya? Y'know, I'm not really helpin' to keep our records clean; whether ya like it or not, we're relatively well-known thieves, really." 

"Theft isn't a problem in the way we do it," Farlan growled, slipping the diamond into a pocket of his cloak. "After all, we only take what we need to in order to survive." His ears flicked back challengingly. "At least I do- I haven't a clue about your own antics."

Isabel shrugged defensively, hopping onto a higher ledge in her section of the cavern. "Ay- so what if I take a sheep or pig or two- it's not like the humans were gonna be nice to them or anything- they were just gonna eat them! I'm just giving them a nice place to stay where nobody's gonna harm them... What are ya giving me that look fer anyways, Far?!" His harsh gaze retreated, returning to the same benign one as usual.

"Nothing, it's just-" His gaze focused once more. "You're really not exactly helping by stealing so heavily. They know _we're_ in leagues, so whatever you do speaks for the both of us." 

"What- would ya rather be the 'savior' of the town, strutting around when in reality ya ain't doing shit? That's basically what those snooty royalty do, y'know. Their roofs really aren't that hard to break into, actually. Just a lil bit of smashing and them ya can kidnap them real nice n' easy..." The dragon considered her next words relatively carefully. "They do make nice company, the royal kids, until I get a decent ransom for their safe return..."

"How often do you carry people off, anyways? Never really see them around in your lair..." The dragon rose from her perch for a moment, bat-like wings flapping in a hover before sitting back down only a few inches from the lupine.

"Not that often," Isabel replied, snapping her claws to make her point understood. "Normally, I have to keep them somewhere different so they don't find out our... Little Secret. Even if they seem decent, I'd rather not get Him executed for helping us both and living with us... Not if I can help it, anyways. I've got better things to do in that time."

"Like what?" Farlan murmured irritably. "Nearly getting yourself killed? Don't think I don't know that you wander the streets looking for information- you had both us worried sick when you didn't come back until late last night, especially after you made a careful point to let yourself be seen by scampering over the boy's foot like that..."

"Aw c'mon! I was just trying to obtain the information we needed in order to figure out how well the kids would work with us. Ya can't blame me for that, now, can ya?" A small, devious grin snuck upon scaly lips. "Ya were worried about me, eh? Pretty rare I hear that coming from ya..."

Farlan turned away from the small lizard-like creature, ears flicking up for a moment before dropping, conflicted. "J-Just drop it there!" he mumbled in annoyance, doing what he could to cover up a hot flush of embarrassment. How was it that she always had to play things out like that, right when he was off guard and unable to fight with her?! "Besides, it doesn't really matter whether I say it or not... You're one of the only friends I have, so of course I care about you. Don't want you going out to the point where you can't return... He wants you to stay back here, with me while he's out in the city, not wandering off where you could easily be taken by a mob or lone slayer." 

"But-"

"I honestly don't want to hear it right now, Isabel. What matters right now is getting back, and the only way we're going to do that is if we arrive before the dragonslayer arrives to have a go at you. Come on, now- you really don't expect him to go easy on a big, bad dragon like you? At least act scary for the sake of this plan, alright?" The wolf looked around, hearing what sounded like a faint scuffling somewhere deeper in the cave. What could be there- serpents? Giant spiders? Cerberus himself? He didn't want to figure it out right then. "Come on, now, Isabel- we're going to head home now." A hand reached out and seized the dragon, adjusting a ring around his index finger as he went. "You're going to have to get back to your standard size if we're ever going to make it out of here..." 

The dragon tapped a small pendant dangling from her neck as she flew out a couple feet, giving it a small scratch and waiting for a moment. It wasn't long at all until a brilliant flash of light consumed her, growing larger and larger until it finally revealed her once more, over fifty times the size of her former stature. She hesitated only a moment before landing once more beside the werewolf, fanned tail extended to allow him to clamber on. "It's a funny thing, really, how you can go from being so small to the monstrosity everyone lives in fear of," Farlan remarked, settling himself between the scales of her back. "Alright, then- I suppose all that's left is to prepare for this group to figure out what's really going on."

Massive emerald eyes regarded the canine for a moment, seeming to question the gaze she received with another, more tentative than even his. _Are ya sure we'll make it? I don't wanna mess up n' make a fool outta both of us in front of the newbies..._ Even though the words remained in her head, they'd shared a special enough bone with one another to be able to see through that shield of thought- a telepathic bond was necessary when her larger form spoke no understandable words, anyways.

A furry hand reached down to massage the leathery skin on her neck. _Try not to harp on it. You'll be fine. This isn't the first time you've had to face him, nor will it be the last..._ No words nor thoughts were exchanged after that, ending off on a hollow silence as the pair took to the sky once more.

Though never did they look back to hear the growls and hisses of the creatures they'd failed to see, hundreds of undead eyes gleaming a sickly yellow against the light of the cave, awakened at last from centuries of slumber.


	5. Hoaxes and Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a warning, there are roughly three sentences of non-descriptive mawplay in this chapter.

"Alright, now, stay behind me." A hand gestured for the pair to follow him, silver eyes watching intently at the level of smoke heightened from somewhere within the depths of the cavern. Growling, grumbling, the occasional snort of flames- it was all the simple noise the slayer was accustomed to throughout years of the same occupation. Only one of those years revealed something to him that complicated things... _I've got to think about how the hell I'm going to work this out... I know she's waiting in the cave, so I might as well give her the fight she's expecting... But how to approach it...?_ Each and every second, he could hear the groaning growing louder, stepping forward to get the dragon in his sights as the pair followed him to discover the monstrosity before them.

The small _clink_ of various gold coins and trinkets littered the dragon's lair, from the smallest ring to the largest engraved plaque. And there was the scaly beast on top of the entire thing, leathery wings folded over on her back and something small by comparison and partly furry tucked between her folded arms- almost seeming part human yet not entirely... Though at the moment it wasn't enough to ponder. Two small, fan-like "blades" protruded from either side of a whip-like tail, opening and closing slightly with each and every swish of it. Her ears seemed to be made of the same type of membrane as the tail between some thicker, bonier plates between the strange cartilage, a small horn in front of each. Her red hide complimented the pile she was sitting on rather nicely, seeming almost peaceful on her pile of riches.

"My god, that dragon..." A paw like hand poked at the brunette's shoulder, emerald eyes looking over apprehensively. "Yes, Armin?" He looked once more to see a sheep run towards the dragon, watching as a lizard-like hand reached out to grab the frightened creature... Only to embrace it in a small hug alongside the unknown humanoid as the wooly being relaxed.

"This isn't right. Look how it's protecting the animals in its lair; it isn't trying to eat them alive- or roast them alive- it's just keeping them close to them as if they're some kind of beloved pets. I'm starting to wonder whether this one actually means anyone any harm..."

Eren looked on intently as several furry things of a type they couldn't recognize flew over on bat-like wings, cuddling up against the dragon's leathery hide with various chirrs. "Yeah, I'm starting to get what you mean, Ar. The more I look at this one, the less I want to impale it..." The brunette heaved a deep sigh. "But we need as much respect from people as we can get if we're going to survive here."

"Oh, you won't be getting any respect if they find out you let the dragon that's been stealing from them live- more than likely, you'll be executed." The voice came from the slayer beside them, hand reaching for the hilt of his sword and creeping down towards the pommel. "Even if the dragon poses no threats to the vast majority of animals, it makes it hard for a civilization to survive if it continues to hoard every gold coin and steal every animal raised for slaughter for companionship- not to mention ransacking the villages' mines and caverns to devour every gem in sight..." With one swift movement, he drew his sword from its sheath, blade pointed in the dragon'd direction. "You must forgive me for what I must do. I suggest you two follow behind as closes as you can to avoid injuries..." Without another word, Levi turned and and disappeared into the depths of the cave, followed by the pair he'd taken with him.

The dragon snorted once more, rolling over while sensitive ears picked up the sounds of her company: breathing, footsteps, the clanging of the metal sword. Then all at once, eyelids flew open to reveal icy blue eyes, irises faded as if the creature was blind. The sheep from earlier turned and bolted from its place beside her as the dragon swung her head and rose from the ground. The black horns, while small in comparison to the rest of the dragon, looked far more intimidating from the angle she bared them at. A low warning growl emanated from somewhere deep in her throat, gradually elevating to a roar the closer Levi got to her; and to make matters worse, with each step he took, an unseen lizard's frill unfolded gradually from the nape of her neck, which, when fully unfurled, was clearly lined with barbs- venomous or not, it was obvious they could more than easily puncture flesh and blood with the slightest touch. At this point, even the humanoid between her paws had turned and fled to a corner, where it watched with intent, pupil-less amber eyes. Her tail lashed from side to side, jaws emitting an indescribably painful screech as a small ball of fire escaped them.

"Is that all you've got, you overgrown lizard?" It was Eren's turn to talk, tone surly as ever as he brandished a knife used for his zombified kills in his hometown. "You're going to go with attacking us with fire instead of fighting us head-on?" The dragon's attention shifted from Levi over to the small brunette, gold talons shooting from her lizard-like digits in the same fashion as a cat. Grumbling to herself, the dragon raised her tail, swishing it in his direction as to smash him to the wall. Though the impact never reached him. Baffled, the dragon raised her tail again until it was in her visual range, revealing none other than the hunter himself- only this time, a sheepish grin met his face. "Erm... Well, this isn't what I meant to do... I'm sorry about thi-" Before he could finish, the dragon had already lowered her tail, flipping it over as to forcefully knock him off. More aggravated roars escaped from within her, turning to see the feline dart towards her. He never made it, however, as a pair of paws latched onto his, saying something in a seemingly desperate tone:

"H-Hey- she wouldn't try to hurt your friend if he wasn't going after her with a knife, you know! Dragons are more reasonable than... You think they are..." With every moment that passed, the feline's grasp tightened against the other humanoid's, drawing beads of blood as his claws dug into the speaker's flesh. The feline gave a small, angry hiss in warning, ears rearing back and tail lashing in warning the longer he was held in place. The harder he looked, the less canine the boy looked to him at this angle... At this point, shock took over the pain for the other being, throwing Armin backwards. "N-No way... You _are_ a Werecat?!"

Back smashing against the wall, the blonde regained consciousness from his protective-instinctual takeover, blinking some in surprise himself as he recognized the man standing before them. "Farlan?! What are you doing here?!"

Eren staggered to his feet, a hostile glare meeting the man as he brushed off the dust and debris from his fall. "I'd like to know the same thing... Whose side are you on? Ours, or the dragon's? I don't remember Levi mentioning anything about you being here, especially curled up and asleep with a gigantic beast like _that_!" The dragon's tail swished in their direction again, each of the three ducking as it swiped close past them.

"Damn it, he couldn't have told you out in public! If anyone knew we were acquainted, he would've been slain by the town himself! It doesn't matter how good he is at slaying the dragons he does kill- the fact remains that any ties with outlaws would have him executed, and neither of wants that for him!"

"What exactly do you mean by-" 

"Listen, I don't have time to explain! You just _had_ to get her angry by going around insulting her and trying to stab her with that, if I must say it myself, pitiful weapon- if you're going to try and slap a dragon at least being proper equipment to kill humanely, geez- and now she's after the both of you. You better take a couple steps back if you're expecting to get out of this with any of your limbs intact." Before Eren or Armin could ask any other questions or object, the werewolf shoved me back against the wall once more, grabbing ahold of her tail as it whipped around for a second time, clambering up to the protruding scales on her back. "Easy, girl..."

"This is what you really want, isn't it?" A roar sounded from the dragon as her blind eyes settled on the dragonslayer before her. "Hold still, then, and let me end this for the both of us..." Both the Werecat and zombie hunter looked on from their place with breath held in apprehensive horror, waiting to hear the sound of the dragon's dying screams... 

The next few moments were a surprise to them. From their corner of the cavern, they watched, baffled, as Levi twisted the sword by its pommel and snapped the weapon in half with one quick hit from his knee. The blade tumbled to the ground immediately, the dragon listening intently as, looking her in the eye even despite the fact he knew she couldn't see him, threw the other half of the sword as far away from him as he could. "It's a damn shame- I was rather fond of that sword. Suppose it can't be helped, though," Levi muttered to himself, taking a dagger and raising it up to her blind eyes. She got the message quickly enough with her webbed ears, backing up apprehensively, though stopped as she heard that in turn drop to the ground several yards away from them. Cautiously, the dragon approached once more, tail flicking less and lowering her head almost expectantly. A moment later, she could feel his palm press against her leathery forehead, a half-smile on his lips. "Come on, Isabel- you didn't really think I'd hurt you, did you?"

Eren's eyes widened. "Isabel?! Isn't that the name that guy at the bar-"

"Used to refer to my sister?" Levi asked, completing the brunette's statement. "It is indeed. Everyone thought she'd died off long ago, and in a way, it isn't entirely inaccurate..." The dragon's eyes had changed from a glassy blue to a far more welcoming green, looking around curiously around her, then turning to glare harshly at Eren, who'd managed to retrieve his knife after being thrown off by her, holding it in one hand. Levi's silver eyes traced down the human, giving him a sincere look. "If you don't want to end up getting pulled out of her mouth, you'd better chuck that. She doesn't like sharp objects around her cave, especially if they're directed at her by the blade." His eyes directed towards a gray tail sticking out of her jaws, lashing in protest. "Spit Farlan out, Isabel. Now." The dragon avoided his gaze, opening her mouth just enough to release the sodden werewolf.

"Y-You really don't have to heal me like that every damn time I get a scratch, do you?! I'm fine! I can handle a couple cuts and scrapes..." Eren noticed the bleeding marks from Armin's claws had disappeared from the sides of both hands entirely, as if the wounds themselves had been removed by some form of magic. The dragon only snorted smoke at him, making a noise that sounded like muffled giggling at his remark. "Hey- it's not funny! Cut that out!"

As the other two quarreled, Levi directed his gaze over to the pair over at the corner, motioning for them to come over. "Relax- she doesn't bite long as you don't give her a reason to. It's alright to step a little forward as long as you don't have anything sharp... Now, that includes retractable claws. I believe you have some, Armin?" The Werecat looked down, sheathing his a bit sheepishly. "That's better. Now, if you'd like to make your way over to-"

"What the hell is going on?!" 

"Pardon?" Eren froze in place as Levi looked over at him with a sort of questioning glare and began trying to stutter an explanation for his outburst. The dragonslayer raised a hand for silence. "No, you're right- I suppose we all owe you some sort of explanation for coming along and finding yourselves in this train wreck. I suppose you deserve the full account, but where to start..." He hesitated only a moment before clearing his throat to give his explanation.

"Now, I suppose this is where our troubles began. Both I, and my sister, Isabel," he began, absently reaching up to stroke the dragon's chin, "lived here for more or less our full lives. Not many dragons live here any longer, but in those earlier days, dragons were abundant, and not all of them were all that coordinated. It was late one night, Isabel and I were trying to return from a visit to our mother... One of them flew too low, and its clubbed tail smashed into her, killing her. What I'm assuming you heard at the pub was somewhat accurate- I didn't know how these things work, and assuming I'd lost her forever I did indeed take up this career to avenge her death..." Levi scratched his head, as if trying to recall the remaining details.

"I suppose it must've been that the dragon who lived up in this cave moved out- as Isabel informs me, her killer felt awful when they discovered and helped her to settle in wherever she wished- though I'd seen where that same one had flown back to and went out to kill it. It wasn't until I'd chased her into a corner and had a sword to her throat that I recognized her... And I'm damned glad I did. I still feel terrible knowing I did that..." While his expression remained the same, the pair could see a shiver run along his spine from underneath his cloak. "This was before I discovered that, as a fact, those who are killed by an unaware dragon get a second chance to live as one in return for the time they lost in their original bodies, and Isabel was no exception to this rule."

"I remember the other portion of it," Farlan spoke up. "It was a night not unlike the one Levi mentioned, when I heard someone shouting something muffled from inside someone's house. Curiously, I poked my head in to see what it was, though is wasn't expecting to see a girl tied up on the floor, struggling furiously... Something bothered me about this, so I found a window and climbed through, removing a piece of cloth from her mouth. She muttered something about someone finding something out... They'd make a show of her and reveal whatever it was... Never did she tell me what 'it' was, however- I had to figure it out for myself. So I cut the ropes and, supposedly, the person who'd bound her came in to find her untied. I haven't a clue why I did it, but I took the person down and slashed their chest open so she could get away... Though I never thought much of it, and I never thought the girl I helped escape would be this dragon right here."

Eren raised a brow. "She can still turn back into a human?"

"Have you ever heard of a dragon who only has one form? They're tricky beasts, I'll say, so I doubt you'd ever come across such a rarity as a single-form dragon. It simply doesn't help them survive." His own sodden hand reached up to give the side of her cheek a small rub. "Oh, it isn't as if she's helpless or anything. She got me out of various scrapes when I went berserk during the full moon, and since everyone hates monsters for their destructive habits- mine I wish I never had- she's defended me a couple times and made it possible for me to get away from mobs without a trace behind me." The dragon only rolled her eyes, snorting slightly. "Actually, she carried me off the first time she saw me again... That was a hard one to wrap my head around, I'll say."

"If I'm allowed to ask, what exactly was the thing she was caught for?" Armin mewed curiously. 

Farlan stopped for a moment. "Oh- that she was a dragon. They must've seen her take to her human form and decided to reveal that to everyone. It's the only thing that makes sense, anyways. But you see, that's the reason we're all friends. Neither I or Isabel can go out in public without being concealed in afraid, so Levi goes out to get us information, of sometimes he takes her with him in a messenger bag while she's in her smaller form if he knows someone else is going to try to attack-"

Eren looked up at the dragon. "Isn't she the one who ran over Armin's foot last night?" 

Farlan hesitated, shooting her a glare. "Yes, that's correct, I'm afraid. She does have a bit of a _habit_ of running off into the middle of town sometimes, which is why it's so difficult to take her with either of us."

"I'm sorry if this is unrelated," Armin piped up, "but is she unable to speak in the form she's in?"

"Oh, she's able to speak, but more by the lines of though between us- through telepathy with particular people. She can make some noises only the two of us can understand due to having to take this god-awful-tasting potion for her words to translate while she's smaller, though only as a human can everyone understand her," Levi answered nonchalantly.

"I-I think we're getting off topic at this point," Farlan mumbled. "In any case, I apologize for all the confusion, though the reason we brought you here was to offer to let you guys stay with us. I might be, perhaps, a little complicated, but for the sake of simplicity let's just say it's a lot easier for a werewolf like me to keep control with another member beside me. Now, Armin, I was hoping you were a werewolf so this would work out better, but I doubt it matters too much... Or so I hope. I noticed that you, too, have a bit of trouble keeping your wits about you when your friend, Eren, here, is attacked, so it might benefit you as well..." Farlan's ears drooped with slight guilt. "I hope you get what I'm saying, kid."

Armin pondered his words for a moment. "What you're saying is that, if we stayed with you three, that it'd help prevent both of from lashing out at people without our control?"

Farlan gave a short nod. "Well, that's the basic idea of it, anyways..."

Armin's ears perked up slightly, heaving a sigh of relief. "So that's how the urge fades out a bit." Cerulean eyes met Farlan's amber ones with calm sincerity. "If that's how to control it, and we've both accumulated the same issue that could be solved that way, I'm definitely willing to try it. But are you sure it's alright if we stay with you guys?"

"I don't see why not, kid," Farlan replied happily, his own ears thrust forward with suppressed excitement. "After all, you've proven yourself a loyal companion to Eren over there, so if you can do the same thing and hold your end of the deal it sounds like this'll work out just fine." His eyes turned towards Eren. "Of course, even if the zombies don't come to this town often, we could still use your apparent skills against them if they ever come back in a wave again. And anyone skilled at killing zombies can definitely stand their own ground against most attackers."

Eren nodded. "I suppose the choice is up to Armin, as I'm the reason we got roped into the whole mess with the mob." Now it was four pairs of eyes that settled themselves to look at the nervous blonde. "I suppose that's a 'yes' from both of us now, really."

"Sounds like it's settled then," Farlan barked. "I'll show you around when I get the chance to- most likely while this village has settled down a little bit. Or Levi could do it- probably look less suspicious now that I think about it..." He began to think aloud. "Now, since Levi broke his sword, he could say that you all had to retreat since Isabel was too strong for the three of you to take on... And if you couldn't take her, Levi, then no one is going to try, and nobody finds out. Alright, that works."

"I look forward to having you in our little gang, the both of you." Armin and Eren both flinched as they felt the werewolf place a paw-like hands on each of their shoulders, removing them as he realized they were still damp with a small apology. "And Armin, even if you're not a wolf like me," he watched as Farlan gave one of his rare wolfish grins, "I think that, even if you are a Werecat, you're still a pretty nice kid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't exactly sure how Farlan would react to some of these situations, so I played this out the best I could, though it might not be anywhere near perfect. I apologize if he, or anyone else, are a little OOC here.


	6. Kenny's Lair

Two pairs of eyes peered into the crevice of the cave, unnoticed by the five inside, merely watching intently at what was going on. 

"Damn it- we could've easily gotten them to follow after! If we'd just gotten the Werecat with us, now... It'd be a breeze to get rid of those crooks once and for all..." 

"We still have a chance. If we send these reports back, then we may be able to do something about this and bring then down to justice. This is the exact information Kenny was fearing, I'm sure..." 

"Didn't he rear that Dragonslayer, too? If the townspeople knew he'd been brought up by one dragon and defending another..."

"... We could easily ruin his reputation, I know. That's not what we're here for, though- try to keep your priorities straight; the reports come before all this." 

The satyr stepped back some, the black tip of his tail swishing in annoyance. "Of course! But what are we going to do with the rest of them? It's not like we can just slay that dragon and be over with it!" A hand reached up to adjust the position of one of his horns. "Besides the werewolf will be trouble..."

"We can make due. There's got to be something we can throw at that old fleabag anyways- after all, he does tend to snap and lose control during the full moon like the lot of them." 

The satyr's silver eyes widened. "We have to wait that long?! But the next full moon is-"

"Tomorrow," the second figure, a centaur, replied promptly with a swish of his own tail. "If anything, we don't have enough time to prepare." He turned to leave the shocked satyr, looking back for only a moment before moving forward. "Come on, Sayram. It's best we get all in order before doing anything rash." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So you managed to find the dragon's lair, and those other two were there as well? Excellent work, you two!"

The opposing figure was anything but soft in terms of physical features. He bore a coat of aqua scales, covered in a hard waterproof coating. His front limbs followed smoothly- a small front leg like a lizard's, only with webbing in between. His jaws were massive, a forked tongue occasionally slipping in and out of his jaws as he spoke. "And what of the werewolf? Was he there?"

"He was indeed, sir," the centaur responded, rising up slightly from his place, gold eyes looking into amused silver ones. "Helping the other two get adjusted, as it appeared. Mentioned something about wanting a companion with him to avoid snapping and losing control."

The dragon clicked his jaws, sharp white teeth concealing themselves inside as he spoke once more. "Is that so?" 

"I've seen the way that wolf acts," Sayram interrupted, goat-like ears twitching with excitement. "He acts fierce but he's really just a bit softie who's afraid of turning against his comrades. Why I can't explain, and yet... Surely we could use that to our advantage." 

The dragon's gaze turned to one of lost amusement, shooting the satyr a bothered look. "I'm aware the full moon is nearly upon us, although it's not the wolf that concerns me." Azure scales shimmered some against the light of the various treasures lining the cave, reflecting them in even more brilliance than before. His clawed feet found their way to the floor, pacing back and forth as if deep in thought. "Then again, the dragon and the wolf... Some would say they're inseparable. It's rare for a dragon to forcibly take off a scale for another, and yet it's very clear this happened, judging by the leaf scale on that ribbon he keeps around his neck; many would even call it a symbol of engagement." He stopped in his tracks to look at a disgusted Sayram. "But more on that later."

"Kenny, sir, I was simply saying we should consider the benefits to using that little 'hindrance' to our advantage; I'm aware the dragon is close to him, and if he were to snap and throw himself against her, we might stand a chance! Once he runs off, she'll follow to see what's wrong, and then we can trap her."

"Perhaps so." A broad, mischievous grin spread across Kenny's face. "Then we may get to see just how far the dragon would go for her comrade." 

"But there's more to it," Flagon added, getting back on all four of his hooves. "I can sense the uprise of a zombie mob; when we checked the cavern, there were a couple growls and snarls that didn't sound like the wolf or the dragon."

Kenny stopped in his tracks, showing every indication of surprise. "Well, that'd definitely serve us well! It'd be better if it were werecats- with their numbers and protective instincts, a single jab at any cat in the groups will send a mob not even the strongest monster can fend off- although werewolves are known for their brutality." 

Sayram's eyes widened. "You mean we can drive them out by luring the werewolves here?! We could get them to think of you as the alpha perhaps, and then we could get rid of those scum with their numbers!"

Kenny nodded. "The king would pay us handsomely if we drove them away from the town as well, and if it leads to the banishment of the other dragon, we can take from the treasure she's been hoarding." Kenny replied, adjusting his serpent-like body to rest against his own hoard. It wouldn't be so bad to have a few more to spruce things up; although he preferred not to mention it to those two quite yet, he was more than satisfied with settling down with the vastest of riches and secure protection under the king. 

He felt the easy life suited him... And if it meant getting his claws dirty, so be it. He'd lived in the same poor, starving underground villages that Levi had, and while he didn't fancy the notion attacking the young cousins he'd raised, things would just have to be that way. The dragon might be one of these two and yet... The dragon bit his lip. Sentimentality was for the weak, and it wasn't as if he planned on truly _killing_ her- no, just driving her out to reign as the only dragon in the area.

The dragon turned over and reached at a shelf behind him, each section lined with variously colored potions. His claws scrabbled at the stone until he found a small vial filled with a sickly green fluid inside. "Make sure you catch sight of him a few nights before the full moon. Pour that over his pelt, and by the time he transforms, he won't be able to distinguish his friends from his enemies. If it's applied correctly, you may have a shot at getting him to target the dragon... Or anyone else you wish. Be careful of who you get him to target, though." 

Without another word, Kenny handed over the vial to Sayram, his eyes widening with a sickening sort of glee.

"Don't worry about it- we've got this all under control."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably mischaracterized these characters really badly, and I'm terribly sorry for that. It was a lot harder to feta grasp on their personalities since they weren't there for all that long, though I tried to preserve Sayram's hatred for the trio and Kenny's more or less selfish nature and views, along with Flagon's somewhat dutiful aura.

**Author's Note:**

> \- The Military Police aren't guarding the king in this AU, but more regulating traffic like normal police.  
> \- While the Eremin begins implied, it'll probably get stronger as the AU goes on.  
> \- This first chapter was pulled from an October submission from my DeviantArt, so it's relatively old writing.


End file.
